Travel | - Part 2

25Jul

Coffee in Atlanta: Rays of Hope

I’ve kvetched before about Atlanta’s paltry selection of proper coffee shops, particularly in areas I want to frequent. Since last writing, I have stopped going to Outwrite due to several encounters with phenomenally rude/incompetent staff and management, in addition to a growing impatience with searching endlessly for parking to drink expensive, crappy coffee in the name of people-watching.

I’ve also discovered Inman Perk, a real gem in a not-quite-there mixed-use-type development on Highland Ave. The coffee’s good, as are the pastries, and there’s plenty of seating inside. Free wifi and a large library of random books to borrow add to the appeal. I even got enough stamps on my ‘frequent flier’ card to splurge on a large coffee frap, which was like a Frappacino but a bit milkier, and not quite as super-sweet. Works for me! The foot traffic outside Inman Perk is hit-or-miss…a fair number of shirtless joggers provide eye candy, and the occasional mess pouring itself out of Fritti or Parish can entertain, but Highland is no Riverwalk. On the upside, you can get your drinks to go and then sit in the nearby park, which has a manmade lake complete with frogs, koi and yuppies with puppies.

Surprisingly, the sidewalk traffic is actually a touch more amusing at Drip, a small (somewhat unfortunately named) coffee shop in the severely under-developed planned development at Glenwood. The sidewalk seating is limited to a few metal tables and chairs which reach backside-searing temperatures in the afternoon sun, but does look out onto the development’s bocce court and surroundings, often occupied by the out-spill of surrounding bars and dubious Mexican restaurant. I’ve seen wedding photo shoots, apparent guerrilla cookouts, and various mid-day drunks arguing the rules of a game they’ve clearly never seen before. I’ve also see drab lunch-breaking yuppies yammering on crackberries, and spent time on my own laptop taking advantage of the free wifi. The coffee at Drip is good – the French press quite so – but expensive. The $2 iced tea, on the other hand, comes with free refills. The food I’ve had has been good, but also pricey – I recall an $8 or so sandwich, and a $5 pastry thingey. They also have Morelli’s ice cream, which I do know to be delicious.

Advantage? Drip, because I can walk to it. I’d probably spend more time at Inman Perk if it was local, but its actual advantages are outweighed by my desire to not drive more than absolutely necessary. Especially when I haven’t had any coffee.

– MAW

Drip
928 Garrett St SE Ste B
Atlanta, GA, 30316-6834

Inman Perk
240 North Highland Ave.
Suite H
Atlanta, GA 30307

Permalink Filed under: Restaurants, Travel Tags: Atlanta, coffee, rant No Comments
20Jul

Mystery Meat

On a recent trip to the Jersey Shore, I thought I had done my research, thanks to Snookie, Pauly D, the Situation, and friends, but I was caught unawares by the culinary popularity of one particular local specialty: Pork Roll.

An article in a local magazine tipped me off to the treat. I soon learned that a “jersey breakfast” is a breakfast sandwich of pork roll, egg and cheese. Since the words “pork” and “breakfast” always go well together, it didn’t take much to convince me to try this exotic new food.

But it was lunchtime by that point. So I headed to the boardwalk and ordered a porkroll sandwich. I was asked whether I wanted “white” or “yellow” cheese with it (I chose white, assuming that involved fewer chemicals and less processing, but have no evidence for that theory).

The sandwich came on a non-descript white sandwich roll with four slices of grilled, circular meat, and a melted slice of said white cheese. The meat reminded me of Oscar Mayer bologna in its thin, perfect circularity, but the meat itself, flecked with white bits throughout, more closely resembled Spam.

So cautiously, and slightly disdainfully, I took a bite. The sandwich was delicious–like a souped up ham and cheese. The meat was salty and flavorful and was perfectly balanced by the subtle melted warmth of the unidentifiable cheese. I had to know more.

So I went to the local Stop and Shop. There I discovered sliced pork roll in the sandwich meat section, packaged similarly to the other sandwich meats. Then I went to the refrigerated section and found entire logs of pork roll, in various sizes—1, 1.5, and 3 pound logs about 4 inches in diameter, wrapped in muslin cloth and then sealed in plastic.

I picked up the 1 lb version and happily marched home. Over dinner with several local New Jersey-ites that night, I learned more about this mysterious item. Apparently, it’s referred to as “Taylor Ham” in North Jersey and “Pork Roll” in the South Jersey/Philly area. My friends recalled eating it either pan-fried or grilled for breakfast, and on a sandwich of white bread and mayo for lunch.

The next morning, I took the locals advice, and pan fried some of the newly purchased roll. I sliced each piece, scored the edges to prevent it from curling up, and dropped it in the sizzling pan. In the meantime, we toasted the rolls with cheese (we used yellow American singles to re-create the authentic experience), scrambled some eggs, rested them gingerly on the other side of the bread, and placed the browned meat atop the sandwich. After our first breakfast sandwiches, we each decided we needed a second one. That was a mistake. We spent the rest of the day digesting on the beach.

After this anecdotal and experiential data, I was curious to find out how this product came to be. I learned that the meat, perhaps based on an earlier product called “packed minced ham,” was first introduced by John Taylor of Trenton, New Jersey in the 1850s. The item’s popularity was immediate and several competitors sprung up quickly. Taylor sued one company for trademark infringement, but the courts ruled against him. The official name is John Taylor’s Pork Roll, and the ingredients include Pork, Salt, Sugar, Spices, Lactic Acid Starter Culture and Sodium Nitrite.

The delicacy has garnered countless admirers. There is a facebook page dedicated to the product. In the music world, Neil “Porkroll” Taylor fronts a band called The Porkroll Project. And alternative rock band Ween’s 1991 album The Pod included a track entitled “Pork Roll Egg and Cheese.”

I’ve since left the beach, and memories of the salty, meaty treat are starting to fade. But as luck would have it, I might be able to experience this treat again. 1789’s chef Dan Giusti recently tweeted that he “will attempt to make New Jersey’s famous Taylor’s Pork Roll….god’s work.” Agreed, Chef, agreed.

-LMB

Permalink Filed under: Ingredients, Restaurants, Stores, Travel Tags: Jersey Shore, Mystery Meat, Pork Roll, Taylor Ham 3 Comments
17May

Wine with Washington

Good old George Washington is well known to have loved his wine. And so it becomes mildly appropriate to have scores of people descend on Mt. Vernon for the annual Wine Festival and Sunset Tours. Let me first declare this a lovely event. I’m sure members of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association are secretly decrying the misuse of the Washington Estate, however, there is something very, er, historical, having hundreds of drunk people listening to music on the back porch of Mt. Vernon. It’s almost as if the house comes to life, as it must have been during the parties and banquests of the 18th century.

Here are two secrets I learned. 1) Get in line to be let in by 6 p.m. – when the doors open. You’ll be able to get the best seats. 2) People stop hoarding the wine tasting area at about 8:00 – cause they’re either drunk or have decided to purchase a bottle of wine and drink on the lawn. Also, I would definitely go with a group of people. You are allowed to tour a candle lit Mt. Vernon, but this requires having someone to watch you picnic area, full of purchased bottles of wine and uncorked delights a plenty. If you’re planning on attending in the future, act fast as the event sells out for all three days.

There are only 16 wineries represented at this event. I’ve been to many of them before so I’ll only touch on some stand outs. I’ve written about them previously, but Narmada has a fantastic red “Midnight” worth a quick freeze and a slow sip on the veranda. It was our bottle of choice when the lines and excess crowding became too much. (I’ve never seen people at a winery come up to a table and ask to specifically try one unique wine and then walk away.)

The wines of Gabriele Rausse were gross. A malbec from Virginia? Let the Argentines do what they do best, besides tango. We purchased a bottle of “Symphony” from Miracle Valley Vineyards. I love the idea of dessert wines although I never drink them – hence my collection of about 10 sitting in the wine fridge. But this one tasted of concord grapes and is a mix of 6 wine varietals. Pleasant. And I swear I’ll break it out at some point!

All in all, this was a great event. The views are sweet, sheep are eating in the fields, the house looks historical, and the wines, along with the music, are entertaining. The only thing missing from the experience was the smell of burning wood – a Williamsburg staple. Perhaps, next year, we will be treated to a lovely mulled wine!

-AEK

Permalink Filed under: Drinks, Events, Travel Tags: George Washington, Miracle Valley Vineyards, Mt. Vernon, Narmada, wine festival No Comments
09May

Ellicott City, MD – I have been there and done that!

Johnny’s Bistro on Main is a hidden Maryland gem. Now let me warn you, there is some active engagement involved in this dining. No singing or drawing on paper table cloths, but you will have to get up and order yourself. And I hate that! But I usually hate it because there is no alcohol. Here, there is alcohol! I must also admit the waitstaff would be more than happy to bring your order to the kitchen for you. Which is confusing. There is a 2 minute period where you sit and wait to see if someone will come and help you – and after those 2 minutes, you walk to the kitchen window, head down and spirit distressed.

We ordered the potato leek soup – it tasted as if it has started as a powder mix. Not good not bad, thank you Knorr. I ordered The Philly – “An Italian style sub made with capacola, hard salami, pepperoni, provolone and topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, olive oil and herbs.” I’m from Philly – we would call this a hoagie. And it was quite delicious with a wonderful crusty bread. And, surprisingly, the perfect amount of shoe string fries – just enough to be tasty but not too much. My manpanion ordered the reuben – on pretzel bread!

All in all, a wonderful lunch! Ellicott City has the feeling of Harpers Ferry, WV – without the large river or gorgeous forest expanses. If you are looking for an afternoon of antique watching and lunch eating, this is a place to try!

AEK

Permalink Filed under: Restaurants, Travel Tags: Ellicot City, Johnny's Bistro on Main 6 Comments
08May

Aggressive Restaurant Waste Reduction

An Aussie friend passed this article on to me, and I really do think it’s an interesting concept to be debated. Basically, Sydney chef Yukako Ichikawa got sick of patrons who didn’t met her standards, particularly those involving the clean-plate club. She posted rules on her restaurant’s door, stating that patrons are required to eat everything on the plate – except a few selected garnishes (for this, I question her commitment to Sparkle Motion) – or be forced to pay extra and/or be banned from returning. She turns people away for any number of a priori violations.

Apparently, she remains in business.

While I certainly applaud the idea of not wasting so much food – the quantities thrown out are staggering, even outside of oversize American chains like Outback, etc. – this seems a bit too precious. What do you all think?

-MAW

Permalink Filed under: Etc, Restaurants, Travel Tags: questions, soup nazi, strange 3 Comments
07Apr

Food Wars DC – Battle of the REALLY HUGE SLICES!

DC Food Wars Airing Party

Tues, April 13th, Grand Central, 2447 18th Street NW, Washington, DC, 8:30-11pm

It’s next week! Finally! While the District of Columbia is best known for politics and historical landmarks, who would have thought that a jumbo-sized pizza slice could create such a stir? It’s a real Food War — with two warring brothers behind it all. Only one brother can win this food war. Which is it going to be, Pizza Mart or Jumbo Slice? You’ll have to watch to find out (I’m sworn to secrecy). It’s going to be exciting! Join us to watch the airing of DC’s Food Wars at Grand Central with other Fans and a one of the owners of the pizza establishments in the Food War!

If you haven’t heard, the new series titled FOOD WARS aired beginning March 9 on the Travel Channel. The host, Camille Ford, has been visiting various cities around the country and learning about their iconic food dishes. Camille has traveled to Minneapolis, Texas, Kansas, Tucson, and next up on their food journey: Washington, DC for the “Jumbo Slice.” The DC Food Wars with Dining in DC’s Lisa Shapiro, who served as a judge for the blindfolded taste test will air on Tuesday, April 13 at 10:00 p.m. EST. Who else is a local favorite? Yep! That’s right! Carla Hall. She may not be able to attend, but we’re working on it.

Here’s a Dining in DC article about the episode.

-Lisa Floresca Shapiro

Permalink Filed under: Etc, Events, Stores, Travel Tags: Adams Morgan, Camille Ford, Carla Hall, Gran Central, jumbo slice, Lisa Floresca Shapiro, Lisa Shapiro, pizza, Pizza Mart 3 Comments
29Mar

The (sacred) Inn at Little Washington. A Redux.

The Inn at Little Washington, man, I don’t know. Below I’ve laid out my Inn experience under three categories: 1) Food, 2) Service, and 3) Ambiance. I remember growing up and always hearing about the Inn. And I wonder, just wonder, if 10 years ago the Inn was hot because it was the best place to eat in the area, but as new restaurants move in and fine dining is just a metro stop away, if the Inn isn’t struggling to find its identity and its place in a burgeoning Washington, D.C. culinary scene.

The food. We arrived early and ordered some drinks while we waited for our table. We sat in the “living room” – a wonderfully cozy and sumptuous room with large pillows and quiet corners. The drink? A rosemary infused gin with champagne and other various pre-prohibition ingredients. It was delicious.

After being seated at our table, we opened our menus to find they were personalized. A nice touch. While perusing the menu we were given bread. It would have been better if it was warm. Maybe next time. We ordered some more cocktails and then were given a plate of amuse bouche – made with ingredients featured in many of the dishes on the menu. They were wonderful! A beet puree, a parmesan cream, a bite size lamb carpaccio, and a piece of black cod. We drank, we ate bread, we tasted the bouches, and ate more bread. They bread girl kept re-loading the bread dish. Eventually, I had to say no more. I didn’t come to the Inn for rolls.

Our first dishes – a Big Eye tuna, avocado, and mango salad with a saki-yuzu sorbet and some Carpaccio of herb crusted baby lamb with Caesar Salad ice cream. The tuna was good, but nothing I couldn’t find at a top-notch sushi restaurant in the city. And, honestly, it probably would have been better elsewhere. But the sorbet was tasty. The Carpaccio was flavorful and the Caesar Salad ice cream was inventive and interesting – the winner of the first course. Both dishes are pictured above.

For the second course, we ate macaroni and cheese and a homemade boudin blanc. Both were tasty, if not awesome. The mac and cheese consisted of nine ziti pieces covered in cheese with some black truffle grated on top. A bit absurd I think, and trying a tad too much. The boudin blanc was good. But really, when is sausage ever bad? Jimmy Dean is a millionaire for a reason! During this course, we also popped open a Petit Verdot – still my fav of all time.

For the mains, a delicious short rib and filet mignon combination and some medallions of rabbit. The rabbit – dry…sec…can I get a glass of water over here? It was the disappointment of the evening. And it was wrapped in pancetta! There was a collective sign of “ehhhh” heard from Washington, Virginia to Palermo, Sicily. The beef two ways was fresh, succulent, and tasted of the quality we were expecting.

Dessert…the Seven Deadly Sins – a little sampling of everything on the menu. The vanilla panacotta and the molten lava cake were stupendous. The rhubarb crumble, I could make. And the vanilla and butter pecan ice cream should be illegal to make. Frozen ice.

All in all, we were on a food roller coaster. Some definite highs and some lowly lows (for a place of this mythological caliber)! While mostly delicious, I don’t know if I’d go the distance for another try. I’ve got The Source only a few miles away and their duck is worth the price of a metro ticket.

The service. Attentive. Punctual. On point. Our personal server seemed aloof, chatting and laughing with other tables but serving us as if we were sitting in a Soviet-era pancake house. The bread girl was very sweet. And the water filling person deserves a raise. And we’d like to give a shout out to the Ginger who walked the dining room like a ballerina with a mission.

The ambiance. Take one part Grandma’s living room, one part Martha Stewart Living, and a healthy teaspoon of fine dinnerware, et voila, you have the Inn. It is what you’d envision the Mansion on O Street to look like… but then you see the yard sale. It was both classy and comfortable. The fringed lampshades worked, but barely.

In the end, the Inn at Little Washington experience: it lived up to the expectation, but didn’t surpass it.

AEK

Permalink Filed under: Drinks, Restaurants, Travel Tags: Inn at Little Washington, Petit verdot, Rabbit, The Seven Deadly Sins, The Source, Virginia, Washington 1 Comment
16Mar

Escaping the cold…

It was the worst winter DC had seen in years, and by late-February, this writer needed an extra helping of vitamin D…in the form of direct sunlight. An opportune conference for my day job and a nonstop flight put me in Miami Beach the week of the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival for the second time. But I had no sightings of Flay, Morimoto, or Valladolid. No supping it up with the muckity muck for me. Tickets for the Festival events are pricey. Still recovering from the worst economic downturn in my lifetime, I found myself pressed to the do the beach on the cheap. Sure, I had an evening of people watching while dining outdoors at a Lincoln Road restaurant and another night at STK on the dime of gracious hosts, but for the most part, I was on my own and on a budget.

The morning my conference began, I cried my sorrows into a remarkably good café con leche at Tropical Beach Café. Located in an unassuming strip at 2891 Collins Avenue, north of South Beach hoopla, TBC is easy to overlook. Never mind this hole-in-the-wall joint is not actually on the beach. Don’t go to TBC for the ambience; go for eye-opening coffee and the stick-to-your-ribs breakfasts. After consuming enough caffeine to think, I opted for the baby bistec with fried eggs. I ordered the steak medium, but knew that it would come out on the well side regardless of what I said. Don’t be fooled by the “baby” label. Portions were substantial. Breakfast included French fries and the best pan I had my whole time in Miami Beach. All for about ten bucks.

Note the service will just as likely greet you in Spanish as English, but feel free to answer and order in whichever of the two you are most comfortable. Waitresses are attentive without hovering or rushing you out. My waitress was impressed but not shocked when she cleared away my empty plates. I topped it all off with a cortado (half espresso, half steamed milk). Hours of seminars in windowless conference rooms require caffeine…and I had to get my vitamin D from somewhere.

Tropical Beach Café, located at 2891 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, open all week from 8am-8pm, just a little too late to go straight from partying to pre-hangover breakfast.

- CAF (Guest Blogger)

Permalink Filed under: Restaurants, Travel Tags: South Beach, Tropical Beach Café No Comments
14Dec

Blue Bottle Café

It’s well established that DCFüd likes coffee. In particular, we like good coffee, strong coffee, and entertaining methods of coffee production – preferably all together. It should come as no surprise, then, that during a recent visit to San Francisco, I spent more than a little time at the Blue Bottle Café, first on my hotel concierge’s recommendation, and then because it was good.

Hidden in a courtyard which is not actually ‘on’ Mint Street, between Mission and Jessie Streets, it took me a few minutes to find the café. The space is bright and lively, with big tall windows and frankly awkward counter-in-the-middle seating. All the bubbling siphon pots make for a lovely science-lab feel I love. The menu, which changes regularly, is limited, especially since on my first visit they were out of eggs. At noon on a Saturday, this stuck me as especially poor form. The baristas were a mixed bag – but I won’t lie: the super attractive guy who gave me a free extra espresso shot in my au lait may have in fact been nicer than the girl who looked like she was chewing old lemons, but who can say?

Lacking eggs, I ordered the a waffle and siphon pot of coffee. The coffee was good, but I hate that it’s served in tall thin glasses (see above). Pretty, yes, but not a good vessel from which to enjoy hot beverage. It’s possible that this inappropriate delivery contributed to my ambivalence about the coffee. The waffle was also very pretty, and good, but came ‘pre-dressed’ with powdered sugar, maple syrup, and too much butter for my taste. Prices are pretty standard for San Francisco – I paid $13.50 for this, the standard coffee is $2.30, and special iced coffees which I had on subsequent visits were $3.50. It’s all better than Starbucks.

After breakfast, I decided to grab one of the Kyoto iced coffee things to go, since the cute barista said it was good and strong. It was both. Actually, it was phenomenal: super-strong, with a woody flavor like bourbon frozen over pure darkness. If I had any idea how to make this, I would never come down.

On my next visit, I sat at the small section of counter facing the ‘kitchen,’ which was much more comfortable, and I got to watch the mayhem back there for added entertainment. I ordered the polenta. It was tasty, but I’m not sure what makes it ‘polenta’ instead of grits. The consistency was more pea soup than anything. The pancetta garnish is the delicious but rubbery, and there was not enough of it. My companion had the toast with jam. The jam was great, but the gorgeous-looking inch-thick toast is pretty much just white bread. In the end, everything does come back to the coffee: my au lait is stellar. The second was even better, since that’s where the extra espresso shot went.

All in all, Blue Bottle Café is a good place to grab a coffee to go (especially the Kyoto one), or maybe to have a very quick sit-down bite. Or to meet a blind date. Actually, this is a great blind-date location: the seating is not comfortable enough for too much lingering – you have ample excuse to bail out quickly or to suggest a more intimate venue, should you be so lucky. Plus, the coffee is good and the food passable and not so heavy you’ll worry about looking a pig.

And yes, I lied in the first paragraph. I didn’t actually spend much time in the Blue Bottle Café, but rather drinking beverages from it.

Blue Bottle Café
66 Mint St.,
San Francisco, CA, 94103

- MAW

Permalink Filed under: Drinks, Restaurants, Travel Tags: café, coffee, San Francisco No Comments
01Dec

Is the foodie movement dead?

Eating Thanksgiving dinner – the turkey, et al – I got to thinking, “Is the foodie movement dead?” Granted, we have seen incredible advancements in the food industry over the past 50 years. At that same Thanksgiving dinner, my mother ordered raw tuna with sushi rice. Would this have happened 30 years ago in suburban Pennsylvania? Never (unless you were an immigrant from Japan, perhaps). But what is there that has the power to WOW us today? How can something be cooked different than it already is? I think the foodie movement is dead – or at least gasping for a breath.

Our global interconnectedness has brought us things young school children only dreamed about years ago. One of the best restaurants in D.C. serves goat, for the love of god – and people flock to eat it! We eat sushi when we want. Visit Ethiopia via U Street or Silver Spring. Kabobs are on street corners, and Cincinnati chili can be eaten in a strip mall. Anything and everything those children imagined is now available on our virtual doorstep.

And we’ve tasted all these foods prepared in diverse and questionable ways. We’ve deconstructed Caesar salads down to a foam. Whiskeys are now being infused with toasted marshmallows. And pears are being crossed with plums and grown in the shape of Buddha! Where else can we go? You can only sauté, boil, butter, roast, stir-fry, and bake so many things in so many ways. Only so many foods can be whipped into a foam or reduced to a powder. Liquid nitrogen is riding on the water skis with Fonzi. Perhaps, in the end, we’ve come full circle.

We now go out and order meatloaf. We go gaga when tater tots are on the menu. Macaroni cheese has popped up in the finest of restaurants. Are we returning to the 1950s? Have we eaten so many new and exotic cuisines that we now demand the comforts of home, the delicacies that still reign supreme in Ohio, the recipes of Betty Crocker? I wouldn’t go so far. But I do think, with so many choices, that we’ve become tired of the exotic and the new. My mother eats sushi for Thanksgiving because she’d never eaten it until five years ago. You and I grew up with it. It’s normal. We’re immune to the insane.

So where do we go from here? Unexpected combinations of food? Fire-roasted cherry and peanut balls? Anything is possible. And don’t get me wrong, I love everything that’s going on in the foodie world. I just wonder how much farther we can push it. Good, fresh ingredients cooked to perfection, absent the molecular dressings, can entice even the pickiest of eaters. Let us look to the future boldly and without fear. A new trend is bound to arise, a new food discovered, and new cooking technique perfected. And we’ll all be there, hoping for a bite or a sip, confident that while the foodie movement may be ailing, we know our own adventurous spirit will never die.

AEK

Permalink Filed under: Etc, Travel Tags: Foodies, global cuisine, molecular gastronomy 1 Comment